benhanson, it's a good question but you may want to ask somewhere else. Any meaningful conversation about the use of decoys is likely to be drown out by our purists (who are often known to use Tricon sights, GPS, padded turkey vests, etc.)

There is a vocal minority in turkey hunting who wishes to define it on their own terms and they are wll represented around here. Read a few of the other threads that touch this issue and you'll understand.

Set them out on a high place in a field where they can be seen for a half a mile or more and don't call.

Ya know, when you look down your nose at someone...its really not a pretty sight for the guy looking back.

The guy asked a question on how. He really didn't want an opinion on whether or not to use a decoy. That will come up again I am sure. Talkin' on a message board is a bit like turkey hunting in some ways. Its better if you know when to say something and how to say it. Otherwise one can look a bit...silly.

Ben, you want to set up your dekes in a position where you wil get a good shot at a gobbler if he comes into them. About 20 yds away is a good range.

Many times a tom will go to the jake decoy first and he usually will face him. Set the jake decoy facing you so the tom circles around to your side.

The hen should be facing away as the tom usually will want to be behind a hen. You can also put the hen on the ground as this is the mating position.

One thing you don't hear too often in discussing decoys is that they can pull in a hen(s) and provide you with some great entertainment and education. A hen will sometimes spend some time around your decoys and you can really hear some of the soft calling they do. Not to mention the excitement of having a turkey in so close, and just watching them be turkeys.

Ben there are ways to set up decoys safely, and if you don't know how to do this just ask. And it doesn't matter if you hunt public or private land! You still need to be safe.

when i used decoys i used a single hen setup slightly to the left of me out to 20 yards if you want to use do'nt worry about what others think as long as it's legal. but i'll warn you the safety issue can't be stated enough after a close call i swore them off.

Still not sure what was wrong with my answer. Put them where they can be seen and don't take a chance on screwing up the setup by calling. Once the sticks are in the ground, everything else is counterproductive.l